


of miso, sake and the starry sky

by amugfulofstarlight



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, Kissing, M/M, No Smut, Not much plot, Tenderness, this is kind of cheesy and nothing much happens lol, tried to make this soft and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24625327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amugfulofstarlight/pseuds/amugfulofstarlight
Summary: Lupin and Jigen had gone out for dinner, leaving Goemon making soba alone in the hideout. The samurai just wanted to have some soba, but an unexpected visit from a certain Interpol inspector offered him more than he bargained for.
Relationships: Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Zenigata Kouichi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	of miso, sake and the starry sky

**Author's Note:**

> haven't written anything non-uni in ages so I wanted to try writing a lupin fic, sorry for any grammatical errors! I love zenigoe but I realise I had to make my own content since there wasn't much of it :') really hope neither of them are too out-of-character!
> 
> this fic contains a slight reference to episode 18 of part 5, "fujiko's gift"

All was quiet in the hideout, except for the sound of soup bubbling away and the almost inaudible kneading of dough on the kitchen table. Lupin and Jigen had gone out for an early dinner, leaving Goemon alone. They invited him to come along for pizza, but the samurai refused, wanting instead to make his own dinner. He only had ingredients to make the soba and miso soup he made last week, when their toilet broke and Fujiko made a fuss about whatever she stuffed down the pipe. It wasn't the most decadent meal, but he had to make do with what he had. He managed to ask the restaurant owners below for some eggs, in hopes of adding them to his noodles. 

If only Lupin hadn't chosen this inconvenient hideout, where the only food places nearby offered pizza, ratatouille and pasta. While Goemon didn't actually mind the noodles swathed in tomato sauce and sprinklings of cheese and topped with basil, he missed the simple comforts that Japanese food gave him, reminders of home. 

After boiling the freshly-made noodles, he laddled the drained noodles and miso soup into a bowl, before cracking an egg onto the bed of scallion-speckled noodles, watching as the egg began to poach itself in the hot soup. Carefully, he brought the bowl into the living area and knelt down, grabbing his disposable chopsticks and preparing to dig into his dinner. The aroma of the soup wafted through the air, the smell feeling like a warm embrace as Goemon brought the noodles up to his lips. 

A loud, firm knock on the door shook Goemon in his place. Immediately he was already by the door, his hands clutching onto Zantetsuken, his grip tightening as he began to unsheath the blade. _Had an enemy found their hideout?_

"Excuse me, sir! It's Zenigata again. I dropped by last week for miso soup and noodles, remember? I was passing by on the way back to my hotel when I smelt your delicious miso soup again."

_Zenigata!? Why is he here again?_

"I'm probably being a huge bother, but would it be alright if I had some? I brought along some sake as a token of my appreciation for last time!" Zenigata's voice boomed with boisterousness, every word coated with layers of sincerity and warmth akin to a summer's day sun. Although Zenigata was their enemy, there was no denying that he was a good man. 

"Sir?"

Goemon's brain began flooding itself with possible ways of getting out of this situation. 

He could simply stay silent and pretend no one was in. No, then that would be suspicious and Zenigata, with his sharp instincts, would probably think something happened and barge right in. 

He could escape by jumping out the window. No, that would also arouse suspicion both from the inspector and from anyone outside. 

He could cut down Zenigata where he stood. No, that would be too rash. 

He could just disguise himself and let Zenigata in, and quickly get him to leave as soon as he's had his food, before Lupin and Jigen return. 

"J-just a moment, please!" Goemon darted into the kitchen, hastily making another bowl of soba and placing it on the table. 

Clearing his throat, Goemon adopted a high pitch, and yelled: "Just come in, mister. The soba is just on the table. My grandpa's out at the moment but I'll let him know you dropped by." He wasn't sure if his grandchild act was convincing enough, but then he heard the door knob turn and the sound of boots on wooden floorboards approach. He hid in the kitchen, hoping he could continue the act from there, and that Zenigata would simply have his fill and leave. It was a ridiculous plan, but one that might work. 

"Ah thank you ever so much! I'm- Where have you gone off to?"

"I'm- I get nervous around people, I'm sure grandpa told you this last time! H-Help yourself to the soba!" Goemon yelled from the kitchen. 

Plopping himself down on the sofa, Zenigata removed his coat and hat. His eyes widened at the bowl of piping hot soba on the table. This time, a golden-yellow egg glistened and danced atop of the noodles, soaking up the fragrant soup.

"You've added an egg this time!" Zenigata eagerly slurped the noodles, letting out satisfied noises in-between mouthfuls. His eyes shined and his lips curled up into a ridiculously contented grin, one that seemed to be permanently-etched onto his face. 

Opening the kitchen door slightly, Goemon peeked at the inspector eating happily on their sofa. Zenigata was beaming and seemed over the moon with his meal. Goemon remembered the last time the inspector "dropped by", remembering the inspector's compliment about how delicious he found the soba with miso soup, despite the unconventional combination. Goemon remembered how glad he felt at that moment, to have someone genuinely love his cooking. 

Despite their seeming differences, and the fact that they were on opposite sides of the law, Goemon and Zenigata surprisingly had a lot in common with one another. While Lupin and the inspector definitely shared an indescribable bond beyond their cat-and-mouse dynamic, Goemon and Zenigata both enjoyed Japanese cuisine, and both of them were passionate and fiery, albeit in slightly different ways. Zenigata was an inspector of honor, and descended from the great lawman Zenigata Heiji, whereas Goemon was the 13th generation descending from the legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon. Bound by their respective ideals and honor codes, they both loyally stood for what they believed in.

The more Goemon pondered about it, the more surprised he was by their similarities, similarities he never really noticed, which was understandable considering most of the interactions he had with the inspector were when he sliced police vehicles in half, or when he sliced through supposedly impenetrable jail cells. As Zenigata's glee filled the miso-tinged air, Goemon, letting his guard down, fell backwards through the kitchen door, jolting the inspector out of his soba-induced reverie. 

"Goemon!?" The bowl fell out of Zenigata's hands, spilling the remaining miso, tofu and scallions onto the floor, as the inspector wore a dumbstruck look on his face. Goemon's face mirrored his, as he lay frozen on the floor, his eyes widening at Zenigata and his cheeks beginning to flush. Before either of them could say anything, the still-flustered Goemon leapt up and grabbed Zantetsuken, unsheathing it and slicing through the nearest window with a panicked flourish. Due to his carelessness, they would have to find a new hideout. The samurai cursed himself inwardly for his error, for letting his guard down for even a second. 

"Wait! Goemon, don't run away!" To Goemon's surprise, instead of yelling and handcuffing him immediately, Zenigata laid a hand on his shoulder. Instincts urged Goemon to leap through the now gaping hole-in-the-wall and notify Lupin and Jigen, but his limbs refused his commands to move, as Zenigata gave him not a look of anger, but one that was strangely soft and inviting. Zenigata's hand was huge, and held a firm but not forceful grip on his kimono. 

The two remained in that standstill position for what felt like an eternity. 

* * *

The afternoon wind made the normally stuffy and dusty hideout feel chilly and airy, thanks to the huge hole in the wall, courtesy of Goemon's (failed) panic-induced escape attempt. Lupin and Jigen called (oblivious to what had happened) and said that they would be out late, leaving Goemon to stew in his shame in Zenigata's presence. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the inspector was in the kitchen reheating the miso soup, laddling it into two bowls. 

"Why did you let me in, you could've just kept quiet until I left or run away. I would've assumed the owner wasn't in." Zenigata said as he brought out the bowls of soup and laid them on the table, where Goemon was sitting on the floor.

"It was an error of judgement." Eyes closed and arms crossed, Goemon coughed, his cheeks still flushed with a shade of pink. "Are you not going to apprehend me?"

"Well...Lupin isn't here so-"

"Fair enough, but now due to my carelessness you have found our hideout. I'm assuming you're planning on waiting here until they return so you can arrest us all."

"Not really. Drink up, or your soup will get cold." Zenigata smiled as he began to sip on his fresh bowl of soup. "This soup is amazing, what did you put in it?"

"What?" Goemon's eyes fluttered open, confused at seeing the inspector nonchalantly relishing his soup, not caring at all that a dangerous member of Lupin's gang, a wanted fugitive, was in his presence. _Odd, this is unlike Zenigata_. 

"Well you offered me soba and miso despite the danger of me finding out your hideout, so I appreciate the gesture!"

Not entirely sure of what to do, Goemon stared blankly at the bowl of soup before him, at the chunks of tofu bobbing up and down in the peanutty-brown pool, swirling around pieces of wakame seaweed. Hesitantly, he picked up the bowl and held it up to his lips, sipping gingerly.

"Why are you being kind to me?" 

"It would've been rude if I handcuffed you right now when you took the trouble to make me food." Said Zenigata, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The inspector smiled at the samurai, his face a beacon of warmth and earnestness, his crows feet wrinkling at the outer corners of his eyes as his smile went from ear to ear. Zenigata had the biggest of smiles whenever he chased after Lupin, and now he was offering one of these smiles to Goemon, to the swordsman's confusion and fluster. 

Goemon's felt an unfamiliar warmth spread across his cheeks, as he attempted to avoid Zenigata's ridiculously sincere gaze. He felt the same flutter in his chest he would get when faced with a beautiful woman, the same butterflies flying about incessantly in his gut. _What was happening to him? Was it the miso?_

"Something wrong, Goemon? You've gone all red."

"That is...none of your concern!" Grabbing Zantetsuken, Goemon leapt out of the hole in the wall and onto the roof, as dark began to engulf the cocktail of yellows and reds dominating the evening sky.

* * *

Lupin and Jigen were still not back from their dinner. Goemon had been sitting on the roof for almost an hour, the sky now a blanket of darkness. He was unsure what was happening to him, why he felt the way he did before Zenigata, and why he snapped like that. Confused and frustrated, he closed his eyes and attempted to mediate, in order to rid his cheeks from the warm flush that still lingered, in order to exterminate the butterflies that now began to gnaw at him from the inside. 

Grunts drifted into Goemon's ears, and when he opened one of his eyes he could see Zenigata slowly making his way up the roof, the man taking care not to look down at the people below. Before Zenigata could notice, Goemon forced his eyes shut, feigning obliviousness. He could hear the inspector making his way to his side, and all of a sudden Goemon felt something heavy pressing on his shoulders, as what felt like a coat enveloped him in its welcoming embrace. It smelt of cigarettes, gunpowder and instant noodles. 

Goemon opened his eyes and saw that Zenigata's trench coat was now draped over him. The inspector was now sitting beside him on top of the roof, opening the bottle of sake he had brought over, pouring it into two small cups. He offered one of them to Goemon. 

"I do not understand, you are a man of the law and I am an outlaw. Why are you doing this?"

"Nevermind that, here have some of this!" He gently nudged Goemon with the cup. "This'll warm you up." 

Sighing, Goemon reluctantly accepted the sake, his fingers momentarily brushing against the inspector's calloused ones as the cup switched owners, which caused the samurai's cheeks to regain their warm flush of rosy pink. 

"Thank you." muttered Goemon, hoping the inspector would not draw attention to the blush that returned to invade his face. 

The two sipped their sake in silence, silence that eventually grew too uncomfortable for Zenigata, who began to fill the empty air with words: 

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" said Zenigata, as he let out a chuckle. His face was now flushed bright red and his speech began to slur slightly. 

"Yes...I suppose it is." 

"You know, this is the most I've heard you speak." Zenigata grinned. "Normally when I see you you're slicing police cars left and right or cutting up prison bars. Weird how you're just here sipping on some sake with me."

"I could say the same to you. Normally you're bellowing Lupin's name as you run after him and then end up losing him and fall into a lake...or something of that nature."

"Hey now! I've arrested Lupin a number of times!" Zenigata exclaimed, as he took a huge swig of sake straight from the bottle before offering it to Goemon. 

Goemon drank the remaining sake from the bottle, the liquid relaxing and warming him up as the chilly evening breeze blew. A hint of miso and dashi lingered on the rim, intermingling with the sake and creating a salty-sweet taste that was oddly delightful. With the dangers of getting arrested taken away, Zenigata's company was strangely enjoyable, welcome even, as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder on that rickety roof. Lupin and Jigen had commented countless times that Goemon was easily readable in his earnestness, but the inspector was probably even more so. Zenigata seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve, his emotions making themselves known like a megaphone announcement, loud and without a shred of bashfulness. It was a type of sincerity that was perplexing yet admirable. It was refreshing to have someone who wasn't hiding a pandora's box worth of secrets and deception, who said what was on his mind and meant every word. 

"Thank you......for the sake."

"It's nothing! It's nice to have someone to share it with!" Zenigata then realized what he just said and quickly added, "Oh what I mean is-someone who understands Japanese sake! It's nice to be able to share this with someone who appreciates it, that's what I meant!" Zenigata chuckled nervously, hiccups interjecting his laughter as his cheeks grew redder and redder to the point where it resembled a stop sign. The inspector rubbed the back of his head repeatedly as his hiccups increased in their frequency and his laughs turned into guffaws that filled the air.

"Likewise it is...nice to be able to have someone else who...appreciates Japanese food. Lupin and Jigen have had nothing but takeaway pizza since we first arrived here!" Goemon said with a huff.

"That's a shame. Maybe in a different life we could've had sushi together." Zenigata said with a longing tone, as he found himself staring absentmindedly into the sky that gradually became dotted with stars. His words struck Goemon.

"Actually I...would like that very much, Zenigata." 

"Y-You would!?" 

A feeling of boldness suddenly took over Goemon, as he turned to look at Zenigata, who had now somehow turned redder than he was before. The inspector's face was now a cartoonish beacon of utter fluster and bewilderment, his eyes wide. 

"Evidently that will never happen, but perhaps we can still make the most of this...arrangement." Goemon felt like he had been possessed by some otherworldly force, all sense of restraint thrown out the window as the colour red continued to leak into his cheeks, an uncontrollable heat pervading his entire face. The butterflies in his stomach returned and continued tenfold, flapping their wings to the ever-increasing beat of his heart. _How did his soba and miso dinner turn into this?_

"May I?" Goemon asked.

Zenigata nodded slowly, as the samurai leaned forward and gently tugged on his tie, pulling the inspector closer, their noses almost touching. The two now occupied each other's space, breathing each other's air. Goemon pulled Zenigata closer, further closing the distance between them, their lips locking and foreheads touching. Closing his eyes, the swordsman's thin lips brushed against Zenigata's with a softness and delicacy that betrayed his usual cold and aloof disposition. His lips lingered on the inspector's long enough that he could inhale Zenigata's warm breath and revel in the warmth of his cheeks. The kiss tasted distinctly of cigarettes, sake and dashi. 

Goemon wasn't sure what he was doing but what he did know was that it felt nice, the sensation of his lips meeting Zenigata's. Before Goemon could release themselves from the lip-lock, Zenigata suddenly grabbed his face with his hands and gently pulled Goemon in for another kiss. His hands moved to the back of Goemon's head as their lips connected once more, the inspector's fingers running through the samurai's smooth hair. It was a strange feeling for the both of them, yet as they sat there under the glittering night sky that strangeness turned into something that was soft, slow and comforting. 

* * *

Goemon sat in the living room of the hideout, as he heard the door open with a click. 

"Hey Goemon-chan we're back- W-What happened to the window!?" Lupin eyes bulged out from their sockets as he stared at the gaping hole in the wall.

"I was ridding the room of a fly."

"With Zantetsuken?" asked Jigen.

"You can never be too thorough."

Lupin sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Now how are we going to explain this to the landlords..." 

Elsewhere, a certain inspector had finally made his way back to his hotel room, flopping himself onto the bed, submerging himself in the freshly-changed linen. The tremendous pounding in his chest had not yet subsided, the warmth in his face and the taste of the kiss simply refusing to leave. He still could not wrap his head around what had transpired, how he ignored the nagging of his instincts as a police officer to put Goemon behind bars and lie in wait to catch Lupin and Jigen as well. With his stomach full of miso, soba and sake, Zenigata's heart was full of an indescribable feeling of giddiness. It felt like a jolt of euphoria that would render him sleepless for the entire night. In all his years of chasing after Lupin and his gang, this was not on his agenda. Before taking on the Lupin case he had stopped countless criminals, and had amassed an incredible arrest record. However, this was the biggest crime of all, a crime he could not arrest anyone for, _the theft of his heart_. 

  
As Lupin and Jigen bickered in the background about what to do with their new Zantetsuken-carved hole-in-the-wall, Goemon tried to meditate, but his rapidly beating heart would not obey. The butterflies within him fluttered about excitedly instead of anxiously, the warmth that resided in his cheeks now spreading to his ears. He resisted the desperate urge to scream into the night sky, an urge that beckoned him the more he attempted to repress it. It was an entirely new and foreign feeling, one that was oddly welcome. It felt like something seized his heart and would not let go. Despite years of martial arts and endurance training, and years of death-defying thievery and heists, this was the most challenging of all. In spite of his countless feats of slicing and decimating tanks, helicopters, cars and even lightning, this was not something "worthless" that he could simply cut and be rid of. _It was the incomprehensible fact that Zenigata had arrested his heart._

**Author's Note:**

> ngl this fic was just me trying to figure out how I was going to get them to smooch


End file.
